Adam Rubinstein, Author at Native America Calling

Tuesday, April 14, 2015 – Online Gambling For Tribal Nations

April 14, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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Gaming has been profitable for some tribes, but others struggle to turn a profit and repay loans. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 made online gambling illegal, but states can also create laws that allow some types of online gambling. Only three states in the US have legalized online gambling, although more are currently considering legislation. Could online gaming be a profitable venture for tribes? Or will it pull money away from traditional brick-and-mortar tribal casinos? Should tribes be able to extend their gaming rights to the internet? Do you want your tribe to venture into online gaming?

Guests:

Victor Rocha (Pechanga Tribe of Luiseno Indians) – owner and editor of Pechanga.net

Dr. Gavin Clarkson (Choctaw Nation) – professor of finance and business law at New Mexico State University

Joe Valandra (Rosebud Sioux) – chairman and CEO of Great Luck LLC

Break Music: Tribe Called Red feat. Northern Voice (artist) Sisters (song) Nation II Nation

Monday, April 13, 2015 – Autopsies vs. The Sacred

April 14, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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In February, the families of Autumn Irene Martineau (Fond du Lac) and Mushkoob Aubid (Mille Lac) successfully fought to keep their deceased loved ones from undergoing autopsies. According to the families, autopsies would have violated their religious and cultural practices. Minnesota state lawmakers are now considering legislation that would allow religious objections to autopsies. In some cultures, autopsies are considered a spiritual violation and a disruption to the grieving process. In other cultures, autopsies are viewed as a way to provide valuable information and bring people to justice. Do autopsies go against your values and traditions? Should families be required to compromise their values and allow an autopsy when there are unanswered questions about why a person died?

Guests:

Gail Kulick – attorney and lobbyist for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives

Dr. Mary Ann Sens – medical examiner for eight Minnesota counties, professor of pathology at the University of North Dakota and the coroner for Grand Forks County

Break Music: Naive Funk (song) Burning Sky (alum) Blood of the Sky

Friday, April 10, 2015 – April Music Maker: Karina Moeller

April 13, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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The soulful music of Inuit singer Karina Moeller is one way to jump into spring. Many people know her as one of the voices of the funk-inspired group Pamyua. Her new album “Simplify” puts the spotlight on her voice and musical ability, including her songwriting skills. The 12-track CD includes the sound of her loved ones and her Inuit culture. There are also gracefully constructed songs that are sure to feed any listener’s thirst for a little Indigenous R&B. We invite you to join us as we open our hour to Karina Moeller, our April Music Maker.

Karina Moeller on Facebook

Break Music: Inuk (song) Karina Moeller (artist) Simplify (album)

Thursday, April 9, 2015 – Polynesian Football

April 10, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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A new documentary takes viewers inside the world of Polynesian football hopefuls. “In Football We Trust” premiered this year at Sundance and focuses on four high school football players in Utah who hope to become NFL stars. They also experience larger concerns in their journey: poverty, the allure of gang life, the demands of religion, and the pull of traditional Polynesian culture. These pressures are all begging for their attention and could help the young men improve their lives or tear them down. Are sports a way for members of your community to better themselves or is a traditional education the ticket to success? What is it about sports that brings us back again and again?

Guests:

Tony Vainuku – director of “In Football We Trust”

Erika Cohn – the films co-Director and producer.

Break Music: Ara Ra Kapanapana (song) Te Runga Rawa (artist) Chants Maoris (album)

Wednesday, April 8, 2015 – The Future of Public Media

April 9, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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Public television and radio receives funds from a variety of sources, including the federal government through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. For the past few years, Congress has voted to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Last week the House of Representatives voted again to defund the CPB, but the Senate passed a blueprint budget that would include funds for CPB. A joint budget resolution between the two houses is due April 15^th. What does all of this mean for public media like NPR, PBS and tribal radio? What does public radio and television mean to you? Join us for a discussion about funding public media.

Guests:

Loris Taylor (Hopi Nation) – president and CEO of Native Public Media

Joseph Orozco (Hoopa) – station manager of KIDE

Shirley Sneve (Sicangu Lakota) – executive director of Vision Maker Media

Break Music: Simple Love Song (song) Anuhea (artist)For Love (album)

Tuesday, April 7, 2015 – Food Deserts: Grow Our Own Food!

April 8, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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Do you have to drive to another town to get groceries and fresh food? If you do, you may be living in a food desert. For people living in rural tribal communities, limited access to healthy food is a daily reality. Poor people in food deserts can try to stretch a dollar by buying cheap foods, which are often full of fat and sugar. How do we address this problem? Some tribes and organizations are creating traditional gardening and farming programs to grow food in the community. Do you think these initiatives are worth the investment? What can we do to break away from greasy chips, cheesy pastries and sweet soda?

Guests:

Linda Black Elk (Catawba) – ethnobotanist at Sitting Bull College

Dan Cornelius (Oneida) – general manager for the Mobile Farmers Market and technical assistance specialist for the Intertribal Agriculture Council

George Toya (Jemez Pueblo) – farm manager for the Nambe Pueblo

Break Music: Handdrum (song) Cempoalli 20 & Quese Imc (artist) Osahwuh (album)

Monday, April 6, 2015 – Saving Lives or Enabling Addicts?

April 7, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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In the past year, over 16 people from the Blood Tribe in Alberta, Canada died from a drug overdose. In response, health care workers are distributing naloxone kits and training community members to identify potential drug overdoses and administer this lifesaving drug. Also, in Indiana last week, the governor declared a public health emergency in Scott County due to a spike in HIV infections caused by intravenous drug use. Programs like needle exchanges and naloxone distribution are sometimes called harm reduction. But do they really reduce harm or do they enable addicts? Does your tribe have a needle exchange program? Should resources be dedicated to preventing drug use before it starts?

Guests:

Dr. Ester Tailfeathers (Blood Tribe) – emergency room and family doctor on the Blood Reserve in Canada

Daniel Raymond – policy director for the Harm Reduction Coalition

Mike Lasnier – chief of police for the Suquamish Tribe

Also mentioned on the show:

Harm Reduction Organization

Break Music: Chicken Dance (song) Blackfoot Confederacy (artist) Confederacy Style (album)

Friday, April 3, 2015 – Fashion Forward Or Fashion Backward?

April 6, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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At New York Fashion Week last month, fashion designer Marjan Pejoski sent a model down the runway wearing a dress with the sacred Navajo Yei on the front. In Italy, fashion label Dsquare presented a line they called #Dsquaw. Both showcases sparked controversy and anger in Native America. There is a line between paying tribute to Indigenous people and being offensive. Who draws that line and where is it? Why do so many non-Native designers cross it? These questions are raised every time a designer creates a line of clothing inspired by Native fashion and art. Call in and tell us what you think.

Guests:

Dr. Jessica Metcalfe (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) – owner of Beyond Buckskin

Dr. Gavin Clarkson (Choctaw Nation) – professor of finance and business law at New Mexico State University

Orlando Dugi (Navajo) – fashion designer

Break Music: Plains Vs Coast, Pt 1 (song) Fawn Wood (artist) Iskwewak (album)

Thursday, April 2, 2015 – VAWA 2 Years Later

April 3, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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It’s been just over 2 years since Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. In February of last year, three tribes participated in a pilot project to exercise the special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) portion of the law. Under SDVCJ, some tribes can prosecute Natives and non-Natives for domestic violence, dating violence or violation of some protection orders in Indian country. Tribes must meet certain requirements in order to assert jurisdiction but some are questioning if a non-Native can get a fair trial in tribal court. Join us as we discuss the outcomes of the pilot projects.

Guests:

Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians) – director of the Indigenous Law & Policy Center at Michigan State University

Deborah Parker (Tulalip Tribes) – Councilwoman for the Tulalip Tribes

Alfred Urbina (Pascua Yaqui) – Attorney General for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Break Music: For the Light (song) Digging Roots (artist) For the Light (album)

Wednesday, April 1, 2015 – Current Events

April 2, 2015 By Adam Rubinstein

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At the beginning of each month, we host a Current Events show to highlight events such as conferences, fundraisers, powwows and fairs taking place in and around Native communities. In this episode, we take a look at what’s going on at The Good Road to Life Training in Albuquerque, the American Indian College Fund Gala in Los Angeles and Ida’ina Basketball and Gathering in Anchorage. If you have an event that you want to share with Native America, give us call and tell us the details between 1 and 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Our number is 1-800-996-2848. You can also send an email to comments@nativeamericacalling.com.